Lake in the Hills appoints Shannon Andrews as new administrator

For the first time in McHenry County history, a village will have both a female administrator and police chief, the Lake in the Hills Village Board announced Thursday.

Shannon Andrews was appointed as the new administrator of Lake in the Hills during a Board of Trustees meeting Thursday evening. Andrews was the assistant administrator under Village Administrator Fred Mullard, who resigned, effective Friday, after 20 years with the village.

“I am thrilled to have Shannon as our new administrator,” Village President Ray Bogdanowski said. “She has high integrity, and her character is that of doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. She knows her stuff. We are excited that this is happening during Women’s History Month.”

The village’s police chief, Mary Frake, was appointed last year after working in the village for more than 27 years.

Bogdanowski made a brief presentation during the meeting both to thank Mullard for his time as administrator and to welcome Andrews.

“There are many accomplishments that Fred has achieved during his 20 years working for the village,” Bogdanowski said. “Our board will be forever grateful to him.”

Bogdanowski said that Mullard came into a “difficult situation” back in 2020, referencing the departure of senior staff.

Mullard became village administrator after then-Village Administrator Jennifer Clough and three other village staff members resigned following a controversy over unprofessional text messages.

After taking over as administrator, Mullard also brought Andrews back into the fold, persuading her to return to Lake in the Hills after a stint in North Barrington as its village administrator.

“Due to Fred’s knowledge of the village, his professionalism, dedication and due diligence, he righted the ship,” Bogdanowski said.

Mullard had to be talked into the position, Bogdanowski said, and the expectation always was that he would serve as village administrator for only a few years before the village sought a more permanent replacement.

Andrews’ tenure as village administrator is effective immediately. The annual salary for the role is $171,000 and includes a monthly car allowance and cellphone, according to a draft of the contract. The contract is set to end when Bogdanowski’s term as village president ends on May 8, 2025.